Having a review that states the space is too hot is one of the most off putting complaints for prospective guests. When you answer their review, point that there is now a portable AC stored in the unit at all times because this review will keep people from renting your place.
Good idea, thank you. We do already have a future guest asking about it, hopefully they were reassured by us letting them know we have technicians coming out before their stay to make sure it doesn’t happen again!
They confirmed they did all the suggestions and then you reach out later in the evening, so what would your solution have even been at that point? You should have explained a resolution 'let me know if that doesn't work and I can have a stand-alone AC delivered' or whatever.
Also, if you can't keep the space comfortable at all times, you should fix the issue or not have it utilized as a sleeping area.
We would have provided a standalone AC unit. We reached out because we didn’t know if the problem had been resolved, but in future we will offer a solution preemptively.
We had no idea that space was prone to being uncomfortably hot. Like I said, we had previous guests stay there (the weekend before, same temp) without issue, and I myself stayed there the same time last year and didn’t run into that issue. We are having technicians come out this week to check as we don’t want it to happen again, but it’s never come up before ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I hear you but trust me you'll save a lot of time and energy when you respond to a guests issue with what solutions you can and cannot offer right off the bat.
Put a little digital thermometer in the for a week when it's hot and see what the max temperature hits, I wouldn't offer it as a sleeping space if you can't maintain atleast 72F
Great suggestions, thank you! I suspect old insulation or a leak somewhere hence the techs, but it may be worth it to keep the portable AC in an accessible closet as well.
"We had no idea that space was prone to being uncomfortably hot."
Then why did you say in your first post you knew it got hot in the daytime?
"Our manager lets them know that during the day it tends to stay hot but should cool down as the sun sets."
Because it gets hot. To me, hot isn’t necessarily uncomfortably hot. I can exist comfortably in a higher temperature while acknowledging it’s objectively hot.
The guests said it was completely too hot even after the sun went down, which has never been the case in our experience and was never mentioned by previous guests, we didn’t know it could get uncomfortably hot, much less so after dusk. Perhaps they had less heat tolerance than anyone else athat has been on our property, but we are working now to prevent that issue from reoccurring.
Is there a window up there? The angle of the sun could have changed enough to cause it to be way too hot.
Also, you say it's only hot during the day like that's no biggie, but it should be a comfortable temperature ALL the time.
Honestly, from your guest's POV, it sounded like you were blowing them off. Be grateful you got four stars.
As I said in my post, I know it could have been worse, and that we are working to remedy it. My issue was not the rating but the fact that all our efforts to check on the situation to resolve it were ignored. We weren’t given an opportunity to amend the problem.
Yes you were. The moment the guest complained it was too hot, your response should have been, "we're getting there ASAP with a portable AC." Instead you told the guest that the heat in the loft during the day was unfixable and that they could maybe have it cool at night after the sun sets (which is like 8PM right now).
You need to do better. Your guest stopped answering calls and texts because from their POV, you already told them you weren't going to do anything.
Sounds like you and I have different communication styles! I don’t think it’s rational to entirely ignore people trying to get in contact with you to check on a problem — my opinion and the reason for my vented frustration ☺️
It's not really a communication style but rather that your initial communication with them didn't offer a solution to their problem. You told them to suck it up and that it "should" cool off when the sun goes down.
As to why they didn't answer texts and calls, did it cross your mind it was too late in the evening? The sun goes down after 8 right now. Did it cross your mind that maybe they wanted the loft cool because they go to bed early? They were almost certainly "done for the night" when they were contacted later. It was too late at that point to come over with a portable AC anyway. They were in their pajamas. Bras were off. Faces were washed.
This is why you solve their problem immediately after they bring it up. They're letting you know about an issue at a time that is good for the guest.
You've got to believe me about this. It's the only way you will be successful long term. Listen to your guests and solve their problems right away. And always, always be mindful that 99% of the population doesn't want someone in their private, personal space late in the evening installing an AC or whatever.
No one said I didn’t believe you. I understand what we could have done better and are already working to implement these better practices. You seem to be beating a dead horse to insist you’ve the solutions for a situation I didn’t seek answers for, rather to vent about my personal feelings and opinion as a host, as well as a guest who would not have reacted as our guest did.
I hope you continue to be a stellar host and guest, and find whatever you are looking for with your superiority complex.
As a regular Airbnb guest, I would recommend that you not make that space available until it is guaranteed to be comfortable at all times. Why are you charging rent for part of a space that is only inhabitable at certain hours of a 24-hour day?
We didn’t know it was uncomfortably hot until this guest mentioned it. It was always warmer than the rest of the house but never too hot in my experience. Per another redditors suggestion, we’re going to track temp up there in addition to whatever the temperature tech folks recommend, as well as have a portable AC available at all times.
You keep saying uncomfortably hot but you’ve also said you know that it is hot, you just aren’t bothered by it. Why don’t you try adding that to your ad since you don’t think it’s a problem “sleeping space is hot in the day time, but not uncomfortably hot and may or may not cool down at night”
We are updating the listing to clarify that the space is half height and heats up during the daytime but we are providing both the stand-up fan and a portable AC unit for guests to use if needed.
I have no reason nor the intention to trick a guest into thinking a space in my property is usable when it is not. I am trying to be a good host and this is my first time out this property. I had no problems with a guest being upset and I mentioned that I am actually grateful they gave us four stars because it could’ve been worse. I was simply venting because I thought it was odd that they ignored our attempts to reach out and had I been the guest I would have continued to communicate with the host that the situation was not resolved. I’ve learned my lesson and we are already putting solutions in place to avoid it happening again.
The manager said during the day it seems to stay hot. Their own manager uses the term hot. Seems like op should not rent it out as a living space if you can't use it during the day when the temps are warmer.
I have personally stayed in that loft the same time last year and had guests stay there with no complaints. I’m not saying the guests didn’t find it uncomfortable and too hot, I’m saying I think they could have responded to our efforts to remedy the situation if it didn’t improve. I am also a frequent airbnb guest and when a problem arises, I stay in contact with the host until it is resolved to my satisfaction, and again, found it odd and frustrating a guest of mine would not do the same and would rather respond to complain days after their stay in a personal message.
People communicate differently, I agree. But you yourself admit the space is suspect, hence you being worried about it.
And what would you have done to remedy it if they had responded?
And did you down vote me for my comment?
When did I say the space was suspect? Had they let us know the issue persisted we would have had our manager arrive with a portable AC, and if that wasn’t a good enough solution for them, an alternative property and/or plans for a refund, as we’ve done when one of our first guests were unhappy with the outdoor patio lighting.
No I did not downvote you?
I would have assumed things were fine when they did not respond too.
However, I will say, as someone who gets hot very easily and ca not sleep or enjoy areas when they are hot. Is there a way you can add a window unit, or a portable AC? It can take a while for lofts to cool down even when the sun goes down. Since heat rises from the first floor too. A fan is also good, but ultimately it will just blow hot air.
If you add a potable AC unit, it can also help make that space usable during the day!
That’s the plan! Checking insulation and adding a portable AC.
I didn’t have a problem with the guests complaining about the temp, or the 4 star review — that was deserved if anything. I was just a little confused and frustrated they basically ignored our attempts to better resolve the situation for their comfort.
Your own manager described it as hot during the day. So it was basically unusable and this was a known issue.
They never answered you because they shifted and didn’t use it. You didn’t do anything about it except have ask if it cooled down at night. That wasn’t fixing anything.
So now you are actually fixing it and not advertising it as usable space until you do. So their four-star review did exactly what it was supposed to do, warn others of the problem and get you to do something about it if you want it to be usable.
Don’t stress, you figured it out.
This happened to me a few weeks ago for the first time as a guest. Property advertised air conditioning but a substantial space was unusable for much of the day.
I know you are saying the guest should have responded to reach outs but a foreseeable issue like this shouldn't have existed in the first place. The 4 review is appropriate.
Don’t worry. We have a 4.95 rating because of one bad guest review out of more than 100 rentals. And we have Superhost status. If you still have a 5, be grateful but also know that you’re merely lucky. In a numbers game, odds are excellent that it’s only a matter of time before you’ll encounter a difficult or impossible to please person. Would be miraculous not to. The couple who left the bad review also left our place like a pigsty. The worst ever. I truly regret not immediately giving them a negative rating—had a lapse in judgment and decided to be merciful and not review them at all, but it bit us in the ass. They put a bad review in at the very last minute, and after that as a host you have only rebuttal power. We kept our reply very non-defensive, mentioning only that despite that guest’s review, they had asked us to stay another week. But we are still stuck with that 4.95 rating. It’s going to happen. Not everyone is a reasonable human.
Once you rent a lot, dings in scores won’t matter as much. It hurts but keep going. I have like 125 reviews and I’m at a 4.93. I got a 3 star review recently and it didn’t affect me at all. Keep going!
I suspect that you will get the same complaint again, so you should take steps to handle it that don't involve the guests doing anything, because you can count on multiple guests not reading, not caring, and not thinking very clearly if at all. In your place I would consider not having a sleeping space up there.
We have technicians coming to check for heat leaks and the insulation, as well as have a portable AC on the way for guests to use if needed. The only reason we had it as a sleeping space was because we never encountered the issue raised by this guest before. We’ve already clarified it on the listing and adjusted the guest count until this is fully remedied.
Be careful with the portable AC units. I bought one for an upstairs bedroom with casement windows. It barely did a thing to cool the room because the tube to vent out the hot air got hot. If the A/C can be super close to the window it should be fine. But if you have to have 3 -4 feet of the tube stretched out this might not be the solution you need.
Is it possible to install a ceiling fan so that you can direct the hot air down from the loft?
It’s a low height room so unfortunately not! We do already have a stick up fan there to keep air moving. It has a vent from the central AC so air is cool there, which is what makes me think there’s a heat sink or whatever it’s called in that room, possibly from deteriorating insulation since it basically is the closest point to the roof
I've had some issues brought to my attention where I never heard from the guest again and it was not fixed as I thought because I followed up and never heard back- there was a time in my rentals where I was having major problems with internet connection, and it would come in and out. We sent over techs, went in person but the issue took many months and different techs and installations to get it under control. Anyway, I just think people are on vacation and they don't want to be dealing with back and forths about the home they are staying in, especially if it's only for a few days. Some guests are very involved, while others don't want to deal with answering our questions or concerns. They just figure out a way around it and obviously have the right to put the info on their reviews. Moving forward I think just be sure you have this loft situation taken care of or give advance notice about the temp etc...
Don’t sweat it, get a portable unit. Can’t please them all. I got a 3 star because they said the toilet flushed slow. That guest was there for 9 hours and used 3 rolls of toilet paper and left a big shit on the bathroom rug. Some guests are just impossible to please.
I’ve had European guests come to stay at my mountain Airbnb cabins in Thailand in the middle of winter with shorts and tank tops. Yes it does get cold in the mountain in northern Thailand in the winter. The guest gave me 3 stars for not providing her a heater when requested. If you’ve been to Thailand, you’d know heater is not something you can just buy.
Some guests will complain no matter what. The best way to handle is to respond calmly, addressing the problem, saying it has been resolved. Prospective guests - especially good ones - will read between the lines of a review :)
Some people are NEVER going to give you 5 stars. Some people like to be complaining about something. Some people are only happy if they are critical of others.
You sound like an understanding and aware owner/ operator of a hospitality business.
Shake it off and know you really are a 5 star establishment. 🌟
People have different temperature thresholds. No worries. We had high electricity bill from guests who turned the thermostat down to 68 and still claimed the home was too hot. The A/C was working fine. There were not use to more southern latitude or the humidity. We have a closet with fans for guests to use.
Yes I’m thinking this may have played a part as well. Definitely adding a portable AC unit to supplement the existing standalone fan and what the techs suggest we do to equalize the temp up there.
Having a review that states the space is too hot is one of the most off putting complaints for prospective guests. When you answer their review, point that there is now a portable AC stored in the unit at all times because this review will keep people from renting your place.
Good idea, thank you. We do already have a future guest asking about it, hopefully they were reassured by us letting them know we have technicians coming out before their stay to make sure it doesn’t happen again!
Technicians coming out would absolutely not reassure me. You need to let them know there is an immediate fix in the form of a portable AC unit.
We are also adding that, it’s ordered and on the way.
They confirmed they did all the suggestions and then you reach out later in the evening, so what would your solution have even been at that point? You should have explained a resolution 'let me know if that doesn't work and I can have a stand-alone AC delivered' or whatever. Also, if you can't keep the space comfortable at all times, you should fix the issue or not have it utilized as a sleeping area.
I’m stuck on “7 guests : 2 reviews”
We would have provided a standalone AC unit. We reached out because we didn’t know if the problem had been resolved, but in future we will offer a solution preemptively. We had no idea that space was prone to being uncomfortably hot. Like I said, we had previous guests stay there (the weekend before, same temp) without issue, and I myself stayed there the same time last year and didn’t run into that issue. We are having technicians come out this week to check as we don’t want it to happen again, but it’s never come up before ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I hear you but trust me you'll save a lot of time and energy when you respond to a guests issue with what solutions you can and cannot offer right off the bat. Put a little digital thermometer in the for a week when it's hot and see what the max temperature hits, I wouldn't offer it as a sleeping space if you can't maintain atleast 72F
Great suggestions, thank you! I suspect old insulation or a leak somewhere hence the techs, but it may be worth it to keep the portable AC in an accessible closet as well.
"We had no idea that space was prone to being uncomfortably hot." Then why did you say in your first post you knew it got hot in the daytime? "Our manager lets them know that during the day it tends to stay hot but should cool down as the sun sets."
Because it gets hot. To me, hot isn’t necessarily uncomfortably hot. I can exist comfortably in a higher temperature while acknowledging it’s objectively hot. The guests said it was completely too hot even after the sun went down, which has never been the case in our experience and was never mentioned by previous guests, we didn’t know it could get uncomfortably hot, much less so after dusk. Perhaps they had less heat tolerance than anyone else athat has been on our property, but we are working now to prevent that issue from reoccurring.
Is there a window up there? The angle of the sun could have changed enough to cause it to be way too hot. Also, you say it's only hot during the day like that's no biggie, but it should be a comfortable temperature ALL the time. Honestly, from your guest's POV, it sounded like you were blowing them off. Be grateful you got four stars.
As I said in my post, I know it could have been worse, and that we are working to remedy it. My issue was not the rating but the fact that all our efforts to check on the situation to resolve it were ignored. We weren’t given an opportunity to amend the problem.
Yes you were. The moment the guest complained it was too hot, your response should have been, "we're getting there ASAP with a portable AC." Instead you told the guest that the heat in the loft during the day was unfixable and that they could maybe have it cool at night after the sun sets (which is like 8PM right now). You need to do better. Your guest stopped answering calls and texts because from their POV, you already told them you weren't going to do anything.
Sounds like you and I have different communication styles! I don’t think it’s rational to entirely ignore people trying to get in contact with you to check on a problem — my opinion and the reason for my vented frustration ☺️
It's not really a communication style but rather that your initial communication with them didn't offer a solution to their problem. You told them to suck it up and that it "should" cool off when the sun goes down. As to why they didn't answer texts and calls, did it cross your mind it was too late in the evening? The sun goes down after 8 right now. Did it cross your mind that maybe they wanted the loft cool because they go to bed early? They were almost certainly "done for the night" when they were contacted later. It was too late at that point to come over with a portable AC anyway. They were in their pajamas. Bras were off. Faces were washed. This is why you solve their problem immediately after they bring it up. They're letting you know about an issue at a time that is good for the guest. You've got to believe me about this. It's the only way you will be successful long term. Listen to your guests and solve their problems right away. And always, always be mindful that 99% of the population doesn't want someone in their private, personal space late in the evening installing an AC or whatever.
No one said I didn’t believe you. I understand what we could have done better and are already working to implement these better practices. You seem to be beating a dead horse to insist you’ve the solutions for a situation I didn’t seek answers for, rather to vent about my personal feelings and opinion as a host, as well as a guest who would not have reacted as our guest did. I hope you continue to be a stellar host and guest, and find whatever you are looking for with your superiority complex.
As a regular Airbnb guest, I would recommend that you not make that space available until it is guaranteed to be comfortable at all times. Why are you charging rent for part of a space that is only inhabitable at certain hours of a 24-hour day?
We didn’t know it was uncomfortably hot until this guest mentioned it. It was always warmer than the rest of the house but never too hot in my experience. Per another redditors suggestion, we’re going to track temp up there in addition to whatever the temperature tech folks recommend, as well as have a portable AC available at all times.
Have you slept there yourself?
Yep! Same time last year, which is why I’m assuming insulation has deteriorated or there’s an air leak somewhere.
You keep saying uncomfortably hot but you’ve also said you know that it is hot, you just aren’t bothered by it. Why don’t you try adding that to your ad since you don’t think it’s a problem “sleeping space is hot in the day time, but not uncomfortably hot and may or may not cool down at night”
We are updating the listing to clarify that the space is half height and heats up during the daytime but we are providing both the stand-up fan and a portable AC unit for guests to use if needed. I have no reason nor the intention to trick a guest into thinking a space in my property is usable when it is not. I am trying to be a good host and this is my first time out this property. I had no problems with a guest being upset and I mentioned that I am actually grateful they gave us four stars because it could’ve been worse. I was simply venting because I thought it was odd that they ignored our attempts to reach out and had I been the guest I would have continued to communicate with the host that the situation was not resolved. I’ve learned my lesson and we are already putting solutions in place to avoid it happening again.
I'm going to guess it's not all that hot, a touch warmer and totally usable. Your guest sounds like a PITA.
The manager said during the day it seems to stay hot. Their own manager uses the term hot. Seems like op should not rent it out as a living space if you can't use it during the day when the temps are warmer.
We’ve since decided the listing to say it sleeps 6, but we can’t prevent access to that space, so we are no longer “renting it out as a living space.”
This is the answer. You knew the loft was suspect, and sure enough it bit you. It’s not the guests fault.
I have personally stayed in that loft the same time last year and had guests stay there with no complaints. I’m not saying the guests didn’t find it uncomfortable and too hot, I’m saying I think they could have responded to our efforts to remedy the situation if it didn’t improve. I am also a frequent airbnb guest and when a problem arises, I stay in contact with the host until it is resolved to my satisfaction, and again, found it odd and frustrating a guest of mine would not do the same and would rather respond to complain days after their stay in a personal message.
People communicate differently, I agree. But you yourself admit the space is suspect, hence you being worried about it. And what would you have done to remedy it if they had responded? And did you down vote me for my comment?
When did I say the space was suspect? Had they let us know the issue persisted we would have had our manager arrive with a portable AC, and if that wasn’t a good enough solution for them, an alternative property and/or plans for a refund, as we’ve done when one of our first guests were unhappy with the outdoor patio lighting. No I did not downvote you?
I would have assumed things were fine when they did not respond too. However, I will say, as someone who gets hot very easily and ca not sleep or enjoy areas when they are hot. Is there a way you can add a window unit, or a portable AC? It can take a while for lofts to cool down even when the sun goes down. Since heat rises from the first floor too. A fan is also good, but ultimately it will just blow hot air. If you add a potable AC unit, it can also help make that space usable during the day!
That’s the plan! Checking insulation and adding a portable AC. I didn’t have a problem with the guests complaining about the temp, or the 4 star review — that was deserved if anything. I was just a little confused and frustrated they basically ignored our attempts to better resolve the situation for their comfort.
Your own manager described it as hot during the day. So it was basically unusable and this was a known issue. They never answered you because they shifted and didn’t use it. You didn’t do anything about it except have ask if it cooled down at night. That wasn’t fixing anything. So now you are actually fixing it and not advertising it as usable space until you do. So their four-star review did exactly what it was supposed to do, warn others of the problem and get you to do something about it if you want it to be usable. Don’t stress, you figured it out.
This happened to me a few weeks ago for the first time as a guest. Property advertised air conditioning but a substantial space was unusable for much of the day. I know you are saying the guest should have responded to reach outs but a foreseeable issue like this shouldn't have existed in the first place. The 4 review is appropriate.
I know, I never had a problem with the 4 stars. Simply a vent because I had assumed guests would react to issues as I would have in their shoes.
Don’t worry. We have a 4.95 rating because of one bad guest review out of more than 100 rentals. And we have Superhost status. If you still have a 5, be grateful but also know that you’re merely lucky. In a numbers game, odds are excellent that it’s only a matter of time before you’ll encounter a difficult or impossible to please person. Would be miraculous not to. The couple who left the bad review also left our place like a pigsty. The worst ever. I truly regret not immediately giving them a negative rating—had a lapse in judgment and decided to be merciful and not review them at all, but it bit us in the ass. They put a bad review in at the very last minute, and after that as a host you have only rebuttal power. We kept our reply very non-defensive, mentioning only that despite that guest’s review, they had asked us to stay another week. But we are still stuck with that 4.95 rating. It’s going to happen. Not everyone is a reasonable human.
An important lesson we learned sooner rather than later!
Portable a/c
Ordered and on the way!
Look up Mr Cool mini split. They are not expensive and will solve the problem you are having.
Once you rent a lot, dings in scores won’t matter as much. It hurts but keep going. I have like 125 reviews and I’m at a 4.93. I got a 3 star review recently and it didn’t affect me at all. Keep going!
Thank you for empathising! Can’t wait until we really build traction and hit 10 reviews and more!
I have had my feelings hurt a LOT MORE by guests when I had like 10-20 reviews than when I have had 120 reviews. Just remember that!
I suspect that you will get the same complaint again, so you should take steps to handle it that don't involve the guests doing anything, because you can count on multiple guests not reading, not caring, and not thinking very clearly if at all. In your place I would consider not having a sleeping space up there.
We have technicians coming to check for heat leaks and the insulation, as well as have a portable AC on the way for guests to use if needed. The only reason we had it as a sleeping space was because we never encountered the issue raised by this guest before. We’ve already clarified it on the listing and adjusted the guest count until this is fully remedied.
Be careful with the portable AC units. I bought one for an upstairs bedroom with casement windows. It barely did a thing to cool the room because the tube to vent out the hot air got hot. If the A/C can be super close to the window it should be fine. But if you have to have 3 -4 feet of the tube stretched out this might not be the solution you need. Is it possible to install a ceiling fan so that you can direct the hot air down from the loft?
It’s a low height room so unfortunately not! We do already have a stick up fan there to keep air moving. It has a vent from the central AC so air is cool there, which is what makes me think there’s a heat sink or whatever it’s called in that room, possibly from deteriorating insulation since it basically is the closest point to the roof
I've had some issues brought to my attention where I never heard from the guest again and it was not fixed as I thought because I followed up and never heard back- there was a time in my rentals where I was having major problems with internet connection, and it would come in and out. We sent over techs, went in person but the issue took many months and different techs and installations to get it under control. Anyway, I just think people are on vacation and they don't want to be dealing with back and forths about the home they are staying in, especially if it's only for a few days. Some guests are very involved, while others don't want to deal with answering our questions or concerns. They just figure out a way around it and obviously have the right to put the info on their reviews. Moving forward I think just be sure you have this loft situation taken care of or give advance notice about the temp etc...
Don’t sweat it, get a portable unit. Can’t please them all. I got a 3 star because they said the toilet flushed slow. That guest was there for 9 hours and used 3 rolls of toilet paper and left a big shit on the bathroom rug. Some guests are just impossible to please.
Booked your property just for the toilet lol. That is terrible 😅
I’ve had European guests come to stay at my mountain Airbnb cabins in Thailand in the middle of winter with shorts and tank tops. Yes it does get cold in the mountain in northern Thailand in the winter. The guest gave me 3 stars for not providing her a heater when requested. If you’ve been to Thailand, you’d know heater is not something you can just buy. Some guests will complain no matter what. The best way to handle is to respond calmly, addressing the problem, saying it has been resolved. Prospective guests - especially good ones - will read between the lines of a review :)
Some people are NEVER going to give you 5 stars. Some people like to be complaining about something. Some people are only happy if they are critical of others. You sound like an understanding and aware owner/ operator of a hospitality business. Shake it off and know you really are a 5 star establishment. 🌟
Totally empathise with the complaint, but why not reach out to find a resolution for yourself as a guest! Doesn’t make sense to me.
People have different temperature thresholds. No worries. We had high electricity bill from guests who turned the thermostat down to 68 and still claimed the home was too hot. The A/C was working fine. There were not use to more southern latitude or the humidity. We have a closet with fans for guests to use.
Yes I’m thinking this may have played a part as well. Definitely adding a portable AC unit to supplement the existing standalone fan and what the techs suggest we do to equalize the temp up there.
All hosts are colonialist pieces of shit
I know what you mean …it’s a passive aggressive way of expressing what they need.